Machine for shaping shoe uppers over lasts



Aug. 10, 1943. c. w. BAKER 2,326,193

MACHINE FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS OVER LASTS Filed July 23, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug; '10, 1943. c. BAKER MACHINE FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS OVER LASTS Filed July 23, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 10, 1943. c. w. BAKER MACHINE FOR SHAPING SHOE UPPERS OVER LASTS Filed July 23, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet s Patented Aug.

UNITED STATES PATENT. orrlcs 2,826.19: a insomnia F913 s wg snonui'rcas Cor-win -W. Baker, Stoneham, Mass, assignor to liachinery United Shoe Corporation, Flemington, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 23, 1941,- Serial No; 403,737 21 claim (oi. 12-1) "This invention relates to machines for shaping shoe uppers over lasts, and is herein illustrated as embodied in a lasting machine in the use of which succesive portions of an upper are progressively tensioned and'work'edinto lasted position on the insole of the shoe. v

The object of the invention is to provide an improved machine, simple in construction and operation, for lasting in a quick and effective manner shoes in which cemen't is used to secure the overlasted margin of the upper to the insole.

with this object in view, a feature of the in'- vention resides in the combination with upper gripping means which both, feeds the work and tensions the upper over the last, of means adjacent to said gripping means for progressively and substantially continuously laying the margin of successive portions of the tensioned upper over an insole on the last and subjecting the overlaid margin to a rapid series of pressure impulses, whereby the upper is forced into permanent adherence to the insole and the tensioning of succeeding portions of the upper by the gripping means is aided.

In theillustrated machine the margin laying means consists of a continuously driven rotary wiper the axis of rotation of which is preferably substantially parallel to the bottom of the last and the direction of movement of the operative portion ofwhich is inward across the margin of the insole. As shown, the wiper comprises a disk which is disposed-in a plane substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the last and has spaced projections upon its periphery so thatit not only .wipes the marginrof the upper over of the rolls upon the upper. In the embodiment of the invention shown herein the axes of the feed rolls are normally maintained at a predetermined angle .to the-bottom of the last suitable to produce the minimum tension desired in the shoe being lasted, and means is provided whereby the operatormay shift the axes of the rolls at will, to increase the tension at those portions ofthe shoe where a stronger pull is re quired. i

- The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be described in detail in connection with the accompanying vvation;

the insole but also continually pounds or subjectsj the said margin to a rapid series of pressure impulses.

Invention is also to be recognized in a moun ing for such a wiper constructed and arranged topermlt angular change in thepath ofmoye- .ment of the wiper with respect to the' edge of the insole .in order to provide a greater or less component of wiping force longitudinally of the edge of the margin of the upper, for the purdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view of'the machine in mm; ele

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the operating instrumentalities of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of a portion of the driving mechanism for the gripper rolls as seen' from 'the rear of the machine, the view being partly in section upon the line III-JD. in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation showing the relation of the work to the gripper rolls;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating the action of the rotary wiper upon the work;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the toe portion of a shoe bottom which has been operated upon; and

Fig. 7 shows a modified construction in which I one of the gripper rolls has associated with it means for imparting 'pressure' impulses 'to an insole upon a last bottom.

' Referring now to the drawings, iii indicates a base upon which is supported a table. i2. Upon this table is a grippersupport comprising a base I4 and an upright IS. The base Ills slidable upon the table and is constrained to move in a circular path by an arcuate guide member it, which is secured to the table top. Bolts 20, 22,

which pass through arcuate slots 24, 28, in the pose of distributing the uppe'rmaterial most advantageously to produce a smooth sho'e bottom;

A further feature ofthe invention resides in y a pair of obliquely positioned power drivenieed rolls arranged to'grip the margin of an upper on a last and tension theupper over the last "and to feed the" last and shoeprogressiveiy, in combination with meanshfor moving the axes bottom of the last varythe 'tellsionihg eilect oi the feed rolls angularly with respect tofthe base ll, areqthreaded into the table l2 and pre vent the base I from rising therefrom.

A pull spring 28, anchored atone end to an eye bolt 30 mounted in a stationary bracket 32, is attached to a book 34 which prolectslaterally from the upright It, as shown in Fig. 2.} The spring 28 is always in a stateof tension and tends to draw the carrier ll, l6, toward the left as viewed'in Fig. 2 and to hold it against'an adju'stable stop screw 36 carried by a stationary bracket 18. e

In order to swing the carrier toward the right against the tension of thespring it there is proots for an elongated lower gripper roll shaft bearing member 62 (Fig. 3). The member 62 extends forward through an opening 84 in the upright I6 and in it is journaled a shaft 66 upon the forward end of which is affixed a knurled gripper roll .68. A gear 10 secured on the rear end of the shaft 86 meshes with a similar gear 12 secured on the rear end of a shaft 14 which is journaled in a stationary upper bearing member 18 projecting forward from the upright I6. Secured on the forward end of the shaft 14 is an upper knurled gripper roll 18 and afllxed to its rear end is apulley 80 which is continuously rotated by a belt 82 driven by a pulley 84 comprise ing part of a conventional speed reducing'mechanism 86 driven by a shaft 88 from a motor 80.

The gears 10, 12 mesh loosely, as shown in Fig. 3, approximately in the axis of the pivot screws 68, 80, permitting the bearing member 82 and the lower gripper roll 88 to swing, up or down about the pivotal axis without disengaging the gears from each other. The lower pivoted bearing member 82 is supported and pressed upward by a rather stilT compression spring 92, the tension of which may be. adjusted by manipulating a screw 94 threaded into the base member I4. A

2,828,198 vided a chain 40 which is connected to the car- The wiper has a series of spaced projections I28 around its periphery. These projections act as pounding elements to impart a rapid series of blows or pressure impulses to the work when the wiper is rotated. Secured to the wiper is a pulley I30 engaged by a belt I32 which passes around idle pulleys I84 and'thence around a. pulley I38 stop screw 86 in a stationary bracket 88serves to determine adjustably the upper limit to which the member 82 can be raised by the spring 92 and, consequent1y,.the nearness of approach of the lower'gripper roll 68 to the upper gripper roll 18.

For the purpose of lowering the lower gripper roll to permit the margin of 'an upper to be inserted between the rolls, there is provided a chain I08-which is connected to a treadle I02 mounted in the base of the machine.

A rotary wiper I04 is provided for laying the margin of-the tensioned upper over the bottom of the last and forcing it into smooth contact withthe Insole thereon. The wiper I04 is rotatably journaled upon a stud I06 which is secured in an angle plate I08 by a set screw NO as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The base of the angle plate I08 is mounted upon a stationary bracket II2 which is secured upon' the table- I2 by bolts II 4 and an arcuate guide 8, secured to the upright face of the bracket II2 by screws II 8, cooperates with a corresponding arcuate groove in the back of h the angle plate I08 to restrict sliding'movement oi the angle plate upon the bracket to a circular path, the center of curvature of which is approximately at the point where the wiper engages the shoe. Bolts'l20, E22. which pass through arcuate slots I 24, I28 in the angle plate 508, are threaded into the bracket I I2 and serve to secure the angle plate in adjusted position therein. When these bolts are loosened slightly, the angle plate and, consequently, the axis of rotation of the wiper I84 can be adjusted angularly in a vertical plane.

Expressed in another way, the planeof the wiper can be adjusted to any desired inclination to the vertical.

' tyof the shaft 14 to the driven to rotate the wiper continuously at a fair- 13' high speed.

Two side gages are provided to aid in positioning the shoe properly in relation to the gripper rolls and the Wiper.- These gages comprise the rubber faced rolls I38, I40, both of which are freely rotatable. The roll I38'is journaled upon a horizontal studcarried by the lower end of an arm I42 mounted in a block I44 from which extends a threaded stud I46. The stud I46 passes through. a bracket I48 which is adjustably secured to the top of the angle plate I08 by bolts I50 passing through slots I52 in the bracket. nut I54 threaded upon the stud- I46 serves, when tightened, to secure the block I44 in any desired position of angular adjustment about the axis of the stud.

The roll I40 is similarly mounted on the top of the stationarybearing member 16 by an arm I56, a block I58, and a bracket I60. The two rolls I38, I40 serve as side gages for aiding the operator in presenting the shoe properly to the gripper rolls 88, 18 and the rotary wiper I04.

In order to provide a bottom rest for the shoe, a guard I82 (see Figs. 1 and 4) is arranged immediately in front of the lower gripper roll 68. This guard is mounted p n a bracket I84 depending from the bearing 62, the guard being secured to the bracket by a screw I66. in Fig.- 4, the insole I68 of a shoe I10 upon a last I12 is positioned against the shoe bottom rest I62 with the margin I14 of the shoe upper extending horizontally between the gripper rolls and the side of the shoeag ainst the side gage roll I40.

A modified form of lower gripper roll strucassembled ture is shown in Fig. 7. In this form, the shaft 88 is hollow and passing through it is a shaft I18 upon the rear end of which is secured a pulley I18 driven by a belt I from any convenient source of power. The front end of the shaft I18 carries a rotary cam disk I82, the outer face of which is oblique to the axis of said shaft, with the result that it acts continually to impart a rapid series 01' blows or pressure impulses to the insole I88 and the last I12. This is advantageous in that it insures that the marginal portion of the insolewili lie flat and smooth against the last bottom'atthe operation is being performed, which is particularly Important when used since such insoles have some tendency to crumple. The rapidly repeated impulses on the last also have a tendency to aid in tensioning the upper oi the shoe, which is held firmly between the gripper mils. when the cam di'sk I82 is used, the guard I82 18, of course, removed.

In the operation oi the machine the stop screw 88 is adjusted to produce such a degree of obliquidirection of feed of the work that the rolls 88, 18 will exert the desired minimum amount 01' tension upon the upper of the shoe. The treadle I82 is depressed to' permit the marginal portion I14 of the shoe upper to be inserted between the rolls 88, 10 with the shoe positioned against the side gages I38, I40

and the bottom rest I82 after which the treadle As shown place where the lasting flimsy insoles are being "P over the last, the treadle causing the material to be I v unner- II it comes into the path of the rapidly rotating lays the margin down upon the wiper ill which insole and, by a combined wiping action and a rapid series of pressure impulses, forces the upper into permanent adherence to the insole, both the upper and the insole having been previously coated with cement. As the operation proceeds ta a portion of the shoe where a stronger pull the'upper is needed to tension it properly may be depressed, axis ofthe gripper rolls to be swung in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, until stopped by thestop screw Ill. 'The tensionlng effect is thus increased to the desired extent until a portion of the shoe is reached where less tension is required, whereupon the treadle 48 is released,

the lasting operation proceeding uninterruptedly, regardless of changes in the tensionlng force.

As is apparent from Figs. 1 and 2, the plane of rotation of the disk "i4 is so inclined with respect to the edge of the last that the upper margin H4 is wiped both inwardly and longitudinally of the last away from the gripper rolls, in the direction in which the shoe is moving. The large number of pressure and wiping impulses imparted by the projections I28 on the wiper cause the upper distributed evenly substantially continuously, and laid smoothly on the bottom face of the insole and when working around I assume 3 vIIIisreieasednvhereupontherollsll,IIseize axesofsaidrollawherebytherollstensionthe the margin ill of'theupper and simultaneously upper heightwllc of the last during the feeding feed the shoe in the direction indicated by the "movement, said means including a wiper for is!- arrow on Fig. 2 and tension the-upper over the ing the marginal portion of the upper inwardly -last. 5 overaninsoleonthelashandmeansformovina As the margin of the upper leaves the rolls ll, said axes angularly with respect to the shoe-positioning means, to increase or diminish the tensionlng effect upon the upper.

4. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts. a pair of power driven rolls arranged to grip the margin of an upper upon a last and to effect feeding movement thereof, the axes of said rolls being 'varying the obliquity of said axes to increase or A diminish the tensionlng effect upon the upper as curves, as at the toe of the shoe, to produce a .margin of the upper and the insole, also aids in forcing the last tightly into the upper in the region where the latter is held and is being tensioned by the gripper rolls.

Having described the invention, what isv claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for shaping uppers o'ver lasts, a pair ofpower-driven rolls arranged to grip the margin of an upper upon a last and to effect feeding movement thereof, the axes of said rolls being oblique to the last bottom and so disposed with respect to the path of feeding movement's-s to .tension the upperover the last, and means for soleon alast, of a pair of power-driven rolls arranged to grip the margin of the upper and to effect feeding movement thereof, the axes of said rolls being oblique to the last bottom and so disposed with respect to the path of feeding movement as to tension the upper over the last, and means for moving said axes angularly with respect to said path of feeding movement to increase or diminish the tensionlng effect upon the 3. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination of a pair of power-drivenrolls arranged to grip between them the marginal portion of an upper and effect feeding movement thereof, means for determining a position of the shoe in which the last bottom is oblique to the oblique to the last bottom and so disposed with respect to the path of feeding movement as to tension the'upper over the last, and means for the operation proceeds around the last.

5.- In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a shoe bottom rest, a pair of power driven feed rolls arranged by engagement with the marginal portion of an upper mounted on a last to feed the last and shoe past said bottom rest and to tension the upper over the last,- and means operable durthe feeding operation for moving the axes of said feed rolls angularly with respect to the bottom. face of a sole on the last to vary the tensioning effect of the feed rolls upon the upper.

6. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts. a shoe bottom rest, a pair of power driven feed rolls arranged to grip the marginal portion of an upper mounted on a last and to feed the last and shoe past said shoe bottom rest, adjustable means for normally maintaining the axes of the feed rolls at a predetermined angle to the face of a sole held against said rest, and operator controlled means operable during the feeding operation for moving said axes to a different angle with respect to the face of the sole.

7. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a shoe bottom rest,, a pair of power driven feed rolls arranged to grip the marginal portion of an upper mounted on a last and to feed the last and shoe'progressively past said shoe bottom rest,

said rolls being rotatable about axes inclined relarolls arranged to grip the marginal portion of an upper mounted on a last and to feed the last and shoe progressively past said shoe bottom rest, said rolls being rotatable about axes inclined relatively to the bottom face of an insole on the last to cause the upper to be tensioned heightwise of'the last during the feeding operation, a support for said feed rolls movable to vary the inclination of the feed roles relatively to the bottom face of the insole and thus to vary the tensionlng effect of the rolls on the upper, and means enabling the operator at will to effect a quick. adjustment of said support in operating along different portions of the shoe bottom.

9. In a machine for shaping-uppers over lasts, the combination of means for gripping and pulling successive portions of an upper over a last, and means adjacent to the first-named means for progressively and substantially continuously laying the margin of said successive portions of the upper over an insole on the last and subjectmg the overlaid margin to a rapid series of pressure impulses.

10. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination of continuously operating means for gripping and pulling successive portions of an upperover a last, and means arranged to act substantially continuously on the margin of the upper in a location adjacent to said first-named means to wipe the margin inward over an insole on the last while imparting to it a plurality of pressure impulses heightwise of the last.

11. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination of means for gripping and pulling successive portions of an upper over a last, and means adjacent to the first-named means for laying one section of the margin of said successive portions of the .upper over an insole on the last and subjecting it to a rapid series of pres sure impulses while another section of said margin is in the grip of said first-named means.

12. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination of gripping means for tensioning successive portions of an upper over a last, and means for applying pressure impulses to the margin of one portion of the upper to force it into permanent adherence to an insole on the last while another portion of the upper is being tensioned by said gripping means.

13. In a. machine for shaping uppers over lasts. the combination of means for gripping and pulling successive portions of an upper over a last, and a combined rotary wiping and pounding tool arranged beside said means in a position to wipe the margin of the tensioned upper over an insole on the last and to pound it down upon said insole.

14. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a combination upper tensioning and feeding device, and a combined wiping and pounding tool cooperatively related thereto to wipe the margin,

of the tensionedupper over an insole on the last and to pound it down upon said insole.

15. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination of gripping means for seizing an upper between cooperating elements and tensioning it over a last, a rotary wiper, and means for effecting continuous rotation of said wiper about an axis substantially parallel to the last bottom and oblique to the edge thereof at the point being operated upon.

16. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts,

I upper tensioning devices, and a rotary wiper consisting of a disk disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the last and having spaced projections upon its periphery, the axis of rotation of the disk being so located that said projections engage and wipe the margin of the tensioned upper both inwardly of the last and longitudinally thereof away from the tensioning devices.

17. 'In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, means for tensioning an upper over a last in different locations along the edge of the last botto and means acting on the marginal portion of an insole on the last in each location where the upper is thus tensioned to impart to the last and shoe a plurality of pressure impulses heightwise of the shoe to assist in increasing the tensioning effect of said first-named means on the upper.

18. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts. a pair of power-driven feed rolls arranged y engagement with the marginal portion of anupper mounted on a last to feed the last and shoe and to tension the upper over the last, and means acting simultaneously on the margin of the inso e to impart to it a rapid series of pressure impulses heightwise of the last. v

,19. -In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts,

- a side gage arranged to engage the side of a shoe upon a last near the edge of the insole, a rotary wiper arranged to lay the margin of the shoe upper inward over the insole, and a mounting for said wiper constructed and arranged to permit angular change of the path of movement of the wiper with respect to the edge (if the insole.

20. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a pair of power driven feed rolls arranged -to feed the margin of an upper and to tension the upper over a last, and means for imparting a rapid series of pressure impulses to the margin of an insole upon the last at the location where the upper is tensioned.

21. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts. a rotary hollow shaft, a feed rolljupon said shaft arranged to engage the inner face of the margin of an upper being tensioned over a last, a. second rotary shaft, inside said hollow shaft, and a rotary pressure impulse tool carried by said second shaft in position to operate upon an insole upon the last.

- QORWIN W. BAKER. 

